8 min read
- Harvey loves ballet but feels too big and clumsy for it. The story is about finding your own way to do what you love.
- The book was written after a real moment: the author’s son was teased by some boys in his class for wanting to be a chef.
- Kitty and Dino stop trying to make Harvey dance like everyone else, and help him find a dance that fits him.
- The book’s last line says it: being you is the best thing you can be.
- Written for ages 3–8, it reads well aloud and holds up to the “again, again!” test.
These days my son wants to be a veterinarian. Before that it was a firefighter. But when he was very young he wanted to be a chef, and that’s the one that stayed with me.
His favorite thing back then was his little toy kitchen. One day he told his class he wanted to be a chef, and some of the boys teased him. They said cooking is a woman’s job. He came home a bit hurt and told us what happened.
I wanted him to know that everyone should get to do what they love in their own way, and that ideas about what boys or girls should do shouldn’t decide it for him.
Asanga, on why he wrote Harvey
So I wrote Harvey the Hippo, a hippo who loves ballet even though hippos aren’t exactly built for it. He’s now one of 43 books in the series.
What Is Kitty and Dino Help Harvey the Hippo About?
Harvey has always wanted to be a ballet dancer. But he tries to stand on one leg and keeps falling down with a loud thump. “I’m too big and clumsy,” he says. The moves he loves are light and fancy, and he feels like the opposite.
Kitty and Dino try to help him dance the usual way. Kitty shows him where to put his feet, and he wobbles and falls. She softens the ground, and he still can’t twirl. Dino grows vines to hold, and Harvey says real dancers don’t need vines.
Then Kitty sees the real problem: they’ve been trying to make Harvey dance like everyone else. So they make a hippo ballet, just for him, with a pool of water, water lilies and cool, slippery patches for sliding.
Harvey doesn’t dance the way a ballerina would. He splashes and glides the way only a hippo can. That’s the point. You don’t have to do it the way everyone else does.
By the end, the forest animals come to watch, and an old turtle says, “That was the best dance I ever saw!”
Meet the Characters
A red cat who can blow wind from her tail, move water and move the ground. She’s often the one who spots the problem first, and she doesn’t let it go.
A small green dinosaur who can grow plants, heal things, and change temperatures. Gentler than Kitty, but just as determined.
A big hippo with a big dream. He loves ballet, even though he feels too big and clumsy for it. He keeps trying anyway, which is braver than it sounds.
The Kitty and Dino world is always a magical forest. It’s safe enough that kids can dream, wild enough that it matters when something goes wrong.
Why Does This Theme Matter for Kids Ages 3–8?
Gender expectations land early. Earlier than most parents expect. By three or four, kids are already sorting the world into what boys do and what girls do — usually because older kids or adults have been sorting it for them. A book that directly challenges that, in a story rather than a lecture, does something a conversation at dinner can’t quite do.
Stories slip past the defenses. A child who would roll their eyes at “boys can like dancing too” will sit completely still for a hippo who does ballet. Same idea. Different delivery. The difference matters enormously. It’s the same reason kids who resist reading often come around when the book is about something they already care about — the right story finds a way in.
And it’s not just about ballet, or cooking, or any specific thing. The point Harvey makes is general: your way of doing something doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s way. That’s a message that gets tested over and over as kids grow up — on sports fields, in classrooms, in friendships. If they have Harvey in the back of their mind, maybe that helps a little.
How Does It Read Aloud at Bedtime?
Pretty well, actually. I wrote this series as a father who reads to his son every night, so I know what it’s like to be the one doing the reading. The sentences are short enough to get through without tripping, long enough to carry some feeling. There’s a rhythm to the scenes that makes the ending land right. If you’re curious about why that nightly ritual matters beyond just the stories themselves, the science behind bedtime reading is genuinely surprising.
The story doesn’t overstay its welcome either. Harvey’s problem is clear, Kitty and Dino’s help is concrete, and the resolution feels earned. Kids who’ve ever felt they don’t fit something they love will recognize what Harvey’s going through. That recognition is worth something.
After finishing the story, try asking your child: “Is there something you love that you’ve been afraid to do in front of people?” You might be surprised what comes out. Or you might already know, and this gives you an opening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kitty and Dino Help Harvey the Hippo about?
Harvey the Hippo loves ballet but feels too big and clumsy for it. Kitty and Dino help him find a way to dance that fits a hippo, and the whole forest cheers. It shows kids that you don’t have to do things the way everyone else does.
What age is this book for?
Ages 3–8. It works well as a read-aloud for younger kids (3–5) and holds up for early independent readers in the 6–8 range. The language is simple but the idea isn’t — which is the balance this age group needs. Younger kids especially tend to ask for it multiple times, which is actually a good sign — repetition in picture books builds language skills faster than variety does.
What lesson does Harvey teach children?
Two things, really. First: it’s okay to love something that other people don’t expect you to love. Second: your version of doing that thing doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Harvey doesn’t become a traditional ballerina. He becomes a Harvey version of one. That’s the whole point.
Why did you write a story about a dancing hippo?
Because my son told his class he wanted to be a chef, and some of the boys teased him that cooking is a woman’s job. I wanted him to know he could chase what he loves, his own way. A hippo who loves ballet felt like the right way to say it.
Where can I buy the book?
It’s available on Amazon as a Kindle ebook: Kitty and Dino Help Harvey the Hippo (ASIN: B0GCPLX1G4). It’s part of the 43-book Magical Tales of Kitty and Dino series.
What are Kitty and Dino’s powers?
Kitty is a red cat who can blow wind from her tail, move water and move the ground. Dino is a small green dinosaur who can grow plants, heal injuries, and change temperatures. They live together in a cozy hut made of twigs and leaves and spend most of their time helping whoever shows up at the forest in need. Read more about how the series started — the origin story is worth knowing.
Harvey the Hippo is for every kid who’s been told their interest doesn’t belong to them. It’s also for every parent who’s watched their child go quiet after being laughed at and didn’t know what to say. Sometimes a hippo who dances explains it better than we do.
Ready to Read Harvey’s Story?
Grab the Kindle ebook on Amazon and add it to tonight’s bedtime rotation. It’s a short read — usually about ten minutes — with a payoff that sticks.
From the Kitty & Dino bookshelf
Gentle picture books that bring this to life for ages 3–8:
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